Appendix K. Outreach and Communications Plan

New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy Photo Anne Schnell An Outreach Plan to Help Partners Implement the Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail... This Outreach Strat

New England Cottontail

Outreach Strategy

Photo Anne Schnell

An Outreach Plan to Help Partners Implement the

Conservation Strategy for the New England Cottontail

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This New England Cottontail Outreach Strategy (Outreach Strategy) provides

guidance on how to effectively communicate about New England cottontail (NEC)

conservation This document supplements the Conservation Strategy for the New

England Cottontail (Conservation Strategy, Objective 701), which gives overall

direction for restoring the NEC in focal areas identified throughout the Northeast (Fuller and Tur 2012)

In order to address the challenges in meeting the goals and objectives for the NEC described in the Conservation Strategy (Fuller and Tur 2012), we need positive public reception and we need landowners willing to manage their lands to provide habitat for the NEC Support by key government officials, federal, tribal, state and town agencies, and members of the conservation community will also make it easier

to implement the Conservation Strategy We need to be proactive and identify, approach, and implement agreements for habitat management with landowners and land managers

At the request of the Executive and Technical Committees responsible for

developing and implementing New England cottontail restoration, an ad hoc

Outreach Working Group was convened to write an outreach strategy The team of biologists, human dimensions researchers, landowner recruitment specialists, and communication practitioners represented state, federal, university and nonprofit organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts,

Connecticut and Rhode Island, the region (excepting Vermont) where the proposed Conservation Strategy is focused

New England cottontail partners have been developing a variety of regionally

specific messages and outreach products While many of these products are still effective, rangewide coordination can allow us to leverage funds, reduce redundant efforts, combine technical expertise and present a unified message

The Young Forest Group has been working on messaging and products to promote early successional habitats for all wildlife, and many of their products will support our NEC specific outreach activities, however there remains a need for specific NEC outreach It is anticipated the NEC Outreach Working Group and the Young Forest Communications Group will continue to work together for efficiency and

effectiveness

This Outreach Strategy was written by the rangewide Outreach Working Group

(Appendix A – Outreach Working Group) to address the need expressed by many of

our partners for tools, plans and personnel to help with contacting landowners and working with those landowners to manage for the NEC The Strategy was reviewed

by the NEC Technical Committee in October of 2012 and submitted for approval by the Executive Committee in November of 2012

To develop this Outreach Strategy, we followed the Research, Action,

Communication, Evaluation (RACE) formula (Marston 1979), a standardized process

for developing a communication plan, with an additional Stewardship step as

described by Kelly (2001) We also considered similar plans developed for American woodcock conservation (Case, Seng and Christoffel 2010) and communicating the perils of white-nose syndrome, a new bat disease of epidemic proportion,

(Froschauer 2010) as guides and references for this document

1 Research: The team shared and reviewed existing information about private,

non-industrial woodland owners and management of their forested lands, the findings obtained by the investigators in the American Woodcock Conservation Plan Communication Strategy, research completed by a Cornell doctoral

candidate on New York woodland owners, the experiences of landowner

recruitment specialists and natural history and proposed conservation actions

In addition, a Problem Statement (page 2) to guide planning was written and

Expected Outcomes (page 11) for the project defined

2 Action Planning: Audiences were identified (page 9) Appropriate messages

were drafted by audience (page 12), and strategies and tactics for delivering the

messages were selected (page 23 and Appendix B)

3 Communication and Implementation: Priority actions were identified and

shared, and table of implementation created (page 35)

4 Evaluation: Methods to determine how we are doing relative to expected

outcomes were outlined (page 28)

5 Stewardship: Steps were determined to ensure the campaign’s sustainability

and long-term success through such actions as recognition of those involved

(page 29)

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes from a successful implementation of this strategy will lead

to target audiences gaining the appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills to lead

to the following behaviors:

1 All target audiences will accept and support actions aimed at conserving

the New England cottontail, including habitat management, captive

breeding, reintroduction into the wild, and managing other species

2 Landowners will make significant progress towards creating and

maintaining young forests and shrublands with a long-term goal of

42,440 acres of New England cottontail habitat

3 Conservation advocates will work towards New England cottontail

conservation

4 Natural resource professionals will advocate for an increase in young

forest and shrubland habitat and share tools and outreach materials with their customers and colleagues

5 Elected officials will legislatively and financially support the

Conservation Strategy

6 Communities and neighbors will be aware of NEC conservation efforts

and not oppose them Although the general public is not a target

audience, we also expect that our efforts will result in broader support and understanding of NEC conservation

7 Partners in the Conservation Strategy will communicate in a clear,

unified and consistent manner based on this Outreach Strategy

To help meet the NEC recovery goals from the Conservation Strategy we

recommend that the most important actions listed in this Outreach Strategy are implemented quickly These actions include:

 Increasing the capacity and expertise necessary to identify and work with those landowners willing to manage lands for the New England cottontail (Conservation Strategy Objective 303 /502 for example)

 Hiring additional people to develop and deliver the outreach and

conservation program, as well as methods for increasing capacity by

reaching out to existing natural resource professionals (Conservation

Strategy Objective 704/705 for example)

 Identifying action items in Appendix B, where conservation partners can

immediately work together to implement the highest priority tasks

 Developing a means to coordinate communication across the regional

partnerships This will make the production and distribution of outreach tools and products to those individuals and groups responsible for

implementing the Conservation Strategy more efficient (Conservation Strategy Objective 001-011/701 for example)

 Using the messages contained within this plan to promote NEC

Basic communication principles indicate that if all the NEC conservation partners speak with one clear voice across all audiences then we will increase the likelihood that our important conservation messages will be received and acted upon

Together, we can achieve a much more successful conservation outcome This Outreach Strategy is an important step in that direction

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary i

How to Use this Outreach Strategy 1

Problem Statement 2

Background 2

Social, Ecological, Political and Economic Challenges 5

Target Audiences 9

Expected Outcomes 11

Key Messages 122

Strategies and Tactics 233

Evaluation 288

Stewardship 2929

In Conclusion 311

References 322

Appendix A – Outreach Working Group 344

Appendix B – Action Plan 355

Appendix C - Existing Materials and Resources 544

Appendix D – Helpful Websites 555

HOW TO USE THIS OUTREACH STRATEGY

This plan:

1) identifies target audiences with whom we need to communicate to ensure that we successfully implement the Conservation Strategy;

2) provides messages tailored to those target audiences;

3) suggests strategies and tactics for delivering those messages;

4) compiles and prioritizes a list of available outreach products and needs; and 5) offers methods for evaluating the success of our communications and

outreach efforts

As management actions evolve, we will adapt, modify, or create new messages, strategies, or tools presented in this plan to keep pace with the latest developments

in NEC conservation

This plan is intended for all partners engaged in outreach activities, including

biologists, managers and outreach specialists It will be helpful as a reference before you meet with a particular landowner for the first time, or if you are asked to speak with the press

You may find that you need key messages, or if you are an outreach coordinator you may need tips on how to get your messages across

All messages, strategies and tactics within this plan are connected to the goals and objectives within the regional New England Cottontail Conservation Strategy (Fuller and Tur 2012)

Appendix B – Action Plan sums up all the tactics, and cross references to specific objectives in the Conservation Strategy This appendix is designed such that you can quickly reference tactics and know what tasks need to be completed, or identify where you can contribute The action plan can be consulted as a stand-alone

document, however the context and messages within the Strategy are helpful This appendix is a work in progress, and requires additional information and

participation from the Technical and Executive Committees to identify lead

agencies, personnel, and funding for each task

We welcome your input Please contact Kate O’Brien (Kate_OBrien@fws.gov) or Mao Lin (Mao_Lin@fws.gov) the designated points of contact for the Outreach Strategy to provide updates and to identify how you can help implement this plan This plan is intended to be reviewed and updated as needed, to reflect changing conditions and needs (see also Section 6.0 Adaptive Management in the

Conservation Strategy) The Outreach Working Group will continue to meet

quarterly and address the needs for New England cottontail outreach However, full implementation of this plan will require additional resources and staff

New England’s only native cottontail is in decline, and we need to manage habitat on public, private and non-profit lands to increase its population The conservation activities required to reverse the decline of the NEC face several social, ecological, political and economic challenges, including the need for funds, education,

incentives and technical assistance

A complete discussion of the biology of the NEC is provided in the Conservation Strategy The following background information is intended to provide the reader with a brief overview of the species biology This basic background information can

be used when meeting with landowners to help them learn about NEC

The NEC exists in less than 14 percent of its former range, likely due to habitat loss and fragmentation through forest maturation, habitat conversion, residential and commercial development; and possible competition with the non-native eastern

cottontail and predation of rabbits by native and non-native species

Previously common throughout most of New England, it is now thought to have vanished from Vermont and is exceedingly rare in Rhode Island It is uncommon in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine

New England cottontails are listed as a candidate species under the federal

Endangered Species Act, hereafter ESA (71 FR 53756 Sept 12, 2006) This means that it meets the criteria for listing under ESA; however, the U S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have focused efforts on other listing priorities The NEC is listed as state endangered in Maine and New Hampshire and is considered a game animal in all other states within its range

A Habitat Specialist

The NEC is dependent on thick young forests, which develop generally 5-7 years after disturbance, or are the thick understory in more mature forests They also use abandoned agricultural fields, as well as naturally occurring shrublands along

coastlines and rivers and in wetlands and barrens Such areas, by nature, tend to

High density of woody vegetation is necessary to provide the cottontail with food and winter cover to protect them from predators If the habitat can be easily walked through in winter, it generally does not provide appropriate winter habitat A mix of open and very dense brush is needed to satisfy food and shelter requirements

throughout the year

The NEC also requires that the patches of thick shrubby winter cover be of at least a certain size Barbour and Litvaitis (1993) found that cottontails in New Hampshire survived in winter at much higher rates in patches greater than 7.5 acres Habitat patches also need to be either 1) located within close proximity to one another so that rabbits can hop between neighboring patches to find new homes, or 2) be large enough to sustain a population of rabbits through time

Changing land use practices have made this type of habitat very rare For example,

in York and Cumberland counties in Maine, young forest (less than 20 years old) makes up less than 1.5 percent of the land cover, a tiny fraction of the young forest historically present in the area (FIA 2011)

Reasons for Decline

The primary reason for the decline of the NEC is loss and fragmentation of its

habitat through forest maturation and habitat conversion to other land uses, such as residential and commercial developments The loss of natural shrublands through coastal development, ditching and draining of wetlands, channeling of rivers, and reductions in beaver populations, in addition to reforestation of abandoned

agricultural lands, and a reduction of forest management activities, have made this habitat, and the wildlife which need it, increasingly rare

In all states except for Maine, the NEC shares its habitat with the non-native eastern cottontail The non-native eastern cottontail is able to live in a wider variety of habitats, including the highly fragmented landscapes and in habitat patches that are too small to support the NEC This greater flexibility allows the eastern cottontails to occupy a wider range of habitats, and they are: therefore, much more common Eastern cottontails may even reoccupy disturbed or vacant habitat patches more efficiently than the NEC and may have a competitive edge

Endangered Species Act Listing

Conserving the NEC has presented the Northeast with an important opportunity to implement beneficial conservation actions on land that will help preclude federal Endangered Species Act listing for this species

Saving the NEC is the partnership's highest priority, and partners can take pride in those efforts However, without measurable progress in implementing conservation actions, there is no guarantee that the cottontail won't require future protection of the Endangered Species Act

Protecting the cottontail under the ESA would make it unlawful for a person to

"take" a listed species without a permit Take is defined as “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct (ESA §3(19)).” Through regulations, the term “harm” is defined as “an act that actually kills or injures wildlife (50 CFR §17.3)." Such an act may include

significant habitat modification or degradation that actually kills or injures wildlife

by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding,

or sheltering

If the NEC is federally listed, actions that will cause “take” of the species will be prohibited, unless authorized under a federal permit If a landowner’s actions will not cause take, they need not do anything differently If a landowner’s actions will cause take, the Service will work with them to incorporate avoidance and

minimization measures into their actions so that a permit may be issued The

Service works to process permits in a timely manner, but the most timely and inexpensive conservation results will come from the steps we take to secure the species now

SOCIAL, ECOLOGICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

The conservation activities that are required to reverse the decline of the NEC have several social, ecological, political and economic challenges

There are many reasons that could contribute to this preference of mature forest and lack of young forest management Landowners may believe that cutting single trees throughout their forest is better for the land and for wildlife, rather than cutting patches of trees or creating clear cuts However, cutting single trees does not create early successional habitat (Dayer et al 2011) In some areas, negative

attitudes about forest management activities promoting early successional habitats may discourage creation or maintenance of these vital areas

However, it may be possible to connect young forest management with existing landowner interests for forest management and wildlife Landowners list the

following reasons for why they feel owning forest is important: for its beauty, land protection, proximity to nature and provision of wildlife habitat, according to a 2009 survey conducted by DJ Case and Associates in New York, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire Additionally, Dayer et al (2011) found that when landowners in New York learned about the wildlife benefits of patch or clear cuts, they said they would

be more likely to use those techniques on their lands

Given the wildlife interests of many landowners, and the findings of Dayer et al., it would appear that providing landowners with information “that a diversity of

wildlife needs a diversity of habitats” and that “wildlife needs young forests and shrublands” would encourage them to incorporate early successional habitat into their forest management activities However, what landowners think is best for wildlife is not always what wildlife species actually need Bridging this gap may promote early successional habitats for all wildlife on private lands This would be particularly beneficial for declining species such as NEC, prairie warbler and eastern towhee, to name a few

Habitat Appearance - Shrublands and thickets are often considered visually

unappealing or messy habitats As such, they are often cleared and converted to lawn or pasture or allowed to revert to forests

Fear of Regulation – Landowners may fear that managing for a species with possible

future federal protection will restrict the future use of their lands or adversely impact their neighbors The NEC’s status as a candidate species for listing under federal the Endangered Species Act brings a host of other values and perceptions to the table

Several studies found that in general, the public is strongly supportive of the

Endangered Species Act (Kellert 1979, Czek and Kraussman 1999, Harris Interactive 2011) Conversely, a study of landowner decisions to participate in federal

programs for candidate species conservation found that landowners were often pulled between wanting to be good land stewards and conserve wildlife, while not incurring additional regulatory burdens under the ESA Womack (2008) found that

landowners “were inclined to fear restrictions or interference, but they also highly

valued stewardship and believed they had some social responsibility to be good stewards Their fears of the future aligned with the fourth category of property rights erosion, which could be seen as conflicting with views of social responsibility, but which individuals expressed nonetheless.”

There are tools, such as Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, and economic incentives from programs like those in the USDA Natural Resources

Conservation Service and the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program that are either available or in development that will help balance landowners’ desires to manage for rare wildlife, while maintaining rights to their land Successful

implementation of the NEC conservation strategy requires acknowledgement of landowner reluctance to manage for a potentially listed species and the

development of tools and incentives that will allow landowners to manage any real

or perceived risk that the listing process may have

Benefits for Wildlife – Landowners are often unaware that cutting patches of trees

can be beneficial to wildlife They tend to consider uneven-aged timber management

to be a better practice In a 2011 study conducted by Dayer et al in New York,

landowners reported that their likelihood to engage in patch cutting would be most affected by learning this activity would actually benefit wildlife Landowners also thought that mature forests were slightly more beneficial to wildlife

Single Species Management – Many conservation groups, landowners and land

trusts perceive management of the NEC to be “single-species” management that harms other important wildlife There is a general lack of understanding about the wide variety of wildlife that needs young forest and shrublands

Landowner Collaboration – Landowners see boundaries, but wildlife does not Landowners may not be aware that the activities on their land could be critical to a species, such as the NEC, just beyond their property Additionally, many landowners

do not collaborate with their neighbors or consider whether the activities on their land could be even more useful given adjacent land uses

Management Challenge – In some cases, the activities required to create or maintain

shrubland habitat for the NEC can be laborious and cost-intensive Landowners are often unaware of incentive programs and technical resources that can be harnessed

to support these management activities At times management actions are more efficient with the application of herbicides; however, some landowners are reluctant

to allow the application of herbicides to their lands

Ecological Challenges

Invasive Plants – Young forests and shrublands are prone to invasion by non-native plants, and in many instances, non-native plants make up a large portion of the NEC’s habitat These non-native plants do have some ecological benefits, as well as costs Agencies and conservation groups face the dilemma of how to restore native habitats, if it is a realistic goal, and how that interfaces with early successional habitat, or young forest habitat, management

Deer Over-browsing – Regeneration of shrub habitat following management

activities, such as cutting, can be a challenge in areas where the deer populations are large

Site Selection - Existing vegetative conditions, soil type, slope, stand age and location

are all important factors when choosing areas suitable to manage for the NEC Areas with rich soils, existing shrub understory or younger age forests may yield the desired young forest habitat more quickly than other areas Areas that are close to existing NEC populations and far from abundant eastern cottontail locations are of particular interest

Eastern Cottontail – Additional research is required to determine how NEC

populations are responding at sites with existing eastern cottontail populations It is possible that eastern cottontails will be able to establish at these managed sites earlier than the NEC, and eastern cottontails may interfere with colonization of the site by the native NEC

Predation – Most cottontails die as a result of predation In areas where habitat is limiting, predation by native or non-native predators can be excessive, even to the point where local populations decline and perish

Uncertainty –Restoring the NEC depends largely on having enough habitat in the right places However, there may be other reasons for decline As we learn more, there will be times when management actions may need to change Conservation actions will need to be evaluated and additional limiting factors explored The

program to restore NEC populations will need to remain flexible and responsive to changing conditions and new information

Political Challenges

Declining federal and state funding – Federal and state budgets are in decline

Funding for management actions may be limited Declining funding is problematic for management actions, land protection efforts, as well as staffing and agency capacity to deliver programs

Listing timeline – Due to a recent settlement of a litigation case, the USFWS is slated

to make a decision in 2015 regarding the need to list NEC under the federal ESA This decision may result in the listing of the NEC as either an endangered or

threatened species, or its removal from the candidate status

Economic Challenges

Need for market-based incentives – Creation of suitable NEC habitat can be

expensive and will need to be repeated on a 10-15 year cycle in perpetuity to

maintain suitable habitat conditions capable of supporting the NEC Forest

harvesting, including clear-cutting, may supply the needed financing in some areas, because revenue can be generated from the sale of forest products (i.e., logs, wood chips, etc.) However, not all habitat management projects will result in the

production of marketable forest products, and, as a result, additional capital will be required to implement habitat management projects Increasing markets for lower grade forest products (i.e., wood chips, etc.) that have low economic value will be instrumental in reducing the cost of habitat management These markets may include increasing the demand for wood chips generated from management of low grade timber sites, such as a source of fuel for biomass-to-energy plants Several of these plants are already in operation in various states; however, landscape level restoration would be facilitated by the creation of additional markets

TARGET AUDIENCES

Our target audiences are the individuals or groups of people for whom we

developed this Outreach Strategy We selected the following audiences based on their potential to address the social, ecological, political and economic challenges for restoring the NEC; and then we assessed each audience’s needs in order to recruit them into the NEC conservation initiative We determined that all of our target audiences need a basic understanding of the NEC’s status, the threats facing the species, the need for management actions to address those threats and the

environmental benefits associated with projects that manage for NEC; such as improving habitat for songbirds We describe below each audience, their needs and the contributions they can make towards the Conservation Strategy

A Landowners

The availability of suitable habitat is the most significant limitation to restoring the NEC and most of the land within the range of the NEC is under private ownership, combined with varying amounts under municipal, state, federal and tribal

ownership Therefore, within each area we will need help from many landowners so that we can create numerous habitat patches that are, together, capable of

supporting a population of NECs For this document, the term landowner includes

land managers who may be responsible for habitat management work Since the

landowner audience is very diverse demographically, socially, and behaviorally, we subdivided this group as follows:

(1) Private Landowners need to be aware of the people, tools and incentives

available to them, and that even simple actions they can take will make a positive difference for wildlife and may enhance the value of their land

(2) Private Agricultural Landowners need to understand the important role

that farmers can play in managing for wildlife, and that contributing to this cause need not compromise operations and may even benefit business

(3) Private Small Woodlot/Forest Landowners need to be informed that

managing for the NEC can be simple, that it will benefit forest health, and that consultants and financial support are available

(4) Commercial, Energy, and Industrial Landowners are typically interested

in profits and community support, and therefore need to be aware that participating in NEC conservation can be beneficial to their company They are also important stakeholders, as utility right of ways can provide habitat connectivity to facilitate NEC movement, and in some cases, may sustain local populations of NEC

(5) State Landowners and State Agencies already care about wildlife, but

need information about grants, and how managing for the NEC can benefit

other priority state programs like timber management and hunting as well

as benefit additional state species of greatest conservation need (SGCN)

(6) Federal Landowners need to understand that they can be important

partners in the effort to restore the NEC, and that obviating ESA listing by implementing proactive conservation is much more efficient than listing, recovering, and delisting

(7) Municipal Landowners are concerned about town goals and services, and

thus need to be aware that managing for the NEC does not need to

compromise public recreation opportunities, and may promote a healthier environment

(8) Tribal Landowners understand why it is important to preserve indigenous

wildlife, and therefore need information about funding and technical

assistance

(9) Land Trusts and Nonprofit Conservation Entities want to be good land

stewards and need to be assured that their lands can play an important role

in conserving declining wildlife while still meeting their organizational mission, and conservation of declining species may result in greater support from their constituents

B Conservation Advocates

Conservation advocates have the ability to influence policy and leverage resources

at a national level They need information on how supporting the NEC fits in with their mission and how they can utilize their resources to build support for the cause

while developing support for their organizations This audience includes nonprofit

partners, such as The Nature Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund and National Farm Bureau

C Natural Resource Professionals

Natural Resource Professionals work directly with landowners on a regular basis and have the opportunity to encourage landowners to manage for young forests and shrublands This type of work might get them more clients, and there are already resources available for them to use This audience includes foresters, wildlife

biologists, environmental scientists, consultants and communications specialists

D Elected Officials – U.S Congress

In the states where we are working, we have opportunities for elected officials to be spokespeople, influence public opinion, and appropriate funding for NEC

conservation They want to hear about effective collaborations that make efficient

use of taxpayer resources

E Communities and Neighbors

Local acceptance and understanding of NEC conservation will make it easier to implement potentially unpopular management activities If young forests and

shrublands are being created in their community or neighborhood, they need to know that these activities are benefitting wildlife This audience includes people who reside in towns where active NEC management is underway

F Partners in the Conservation Strategy

This is an internal audience that includes members of state agencies, federal

agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations who are working together to implement the NEC Conservation Strategy We can use our limited resources more efficiently if we speak with one voice, understand our collective goals and

objectives, and work together Our partners need to understand that they are part

of an exciting partnership to restore a declining species, and they need guidance on what they can do to help

The overall goal of the Conservation Strategy and this Outreach Strategy is to

recover the NEC such that it no longer requires protection under the ESA Our target audiences will gain the appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills to lead to the following behaviors:

1 All target audiences will accept and support a variety of actions aimed at

conserving the NEC, including habitat management, captive breeding,

reintroduction into the wild, and managing other species

2 Landowners will make significant progress towards creating and

maintaining young forests and shrublands with a long-term goal to provide 42,440 acres of NEC habitat

3 Conservation advocates will support NEC conservation

4 Natural resource professionals will advocate for an increase in young

forest and shrubland habitat and share tools and outreach materials with their customers and colleagues

5 Elected officials will legislatively and financially support the Conservation

Strategy

6 Communities and neighbors will be aware of NEC conservation and not

oppose our efforts Although the general public is not a target audience, we also expect that our efforts will result in broader support and understanding

of NEC conservation

7 Partners in the Conservation Strategy will have the tools to communicate

in a clear, unified and consistent manner based on this Outreach Strategy

Appendix B – Action Plan shows how these expected outcomes relate to our tactics.

KEY MESSAGES

We developed the following messages to assist the NEC partners with their

communications and outreach efforts Designed to resonate with specific audiences both logically and emotionally, these messages represent a culmination of research and first-hand experiences working with our target audiences, as provided by the Outreach Work Group Consult these messages to ensure that what you say is

consistent with what others are saying across the range Each primary message

(italicized) includes several supporting messages (bulleted) Refer to Strategies and

Tactics for information on how to effectively communicate these messages

Messages for All Audiences

This section contains the most important messages that are appropriate for all audiences, and addresses the needs of all audiences These messages provide the foundation for more audience-specific messages

The New England cottontail, the region’s only native rabbit, is disappearing, and it needs habitat management to ensure its survival

 The New England cottontail cannot survive without thick, dense habitat They need management of young forests and shrublands for their continued existence

 Extinction is forever

In many areas, non-native Eastern cottontail has thrived, while the native New

England cottontail has declined

 The other rabbit in the northeast region, the non-native eastern cottontail, is abundant in many places in New England Unlike New England cottontails, eastern cottontails are commonly seen on roadsides and in gardens

 Eastern cottontails can live in many different types of landscapes, while New England cottontail need managed shrublands and thickets

 Recent survey data suggests that the New England cottontail may not thrive

in landscapes dominated by Eastern cottontails

The Northeast is rapidly losing young forests and shrublands and associated wildlife, including the New England cottontail We can take action to reverse the decline

 Work to benefit the New England cottontail will also benefit other species including game species

 In many areas of the Northeast, young forests and shrublands are rare on the landscape, yet they provide native wildlife with essential food, shelter and places to raise young

 Helping the New England cottontail will make a big difference for the many different types of animals that need healthy young forests and shrublands

 A diversity of wildlife needs a diversity of habitats

 Wildlife needs young forests and shrublands

 Young forests and shrublands provide areas attractive to deer, moose, ruffed grouse and many other game species

 Many birds that breed in forests need to feed in shrublands rich with berries and insects

Active management of forests is needed, as we no longer allow natural disturbances like fire and flood that historically governed the outdoors and maintained young forests Now, wildlife needs us to bring shrubland back by cutting trees, restoring wetlands and controlled burning

 When forests were disappearing from the Northeast, we restored them Now we have a highly forested landscape, and we need to restore landscape diversity We can do this by creating a mosaic of mature and young

landscapes

 Managing young forests and shrublands creates open scenery, economic opportunities and new recreational activities (e.g bird watching, hiking, berry picking and hunting) for people now and in the future

 Permanent conservation of young forests and shrublands provides term protection of these important habitats and the wildlife that rely on them Conservation easements, sale or donation of land, or deed restrictions can provide this protection

long- Prescribed burning can reduce the risk of wildfire in your community, while improving habitat for wildlife

 Increasing shrubby areas on your land can provide food and cover for

wildlife

 Restoring and conserving wetlands and streams provides high quality habitat for wildlife and improves water quality for all

Managing for New England cottontail supports the local economy

 Habitat management supports local jobs in the community

 New England’s working forests annually contribute to local and regional economies, sustaining jobs in the woods, mills and in supporting industries

 Habitat creation provides wood, a renewable resource, which can be used in place of foreign oil for heating homes or generating electricity

 Young forests and shrublands can promote ecotourism by offering excellent wildlife watching opportunities along with many other recreational uses

Landowners can help wildlife while maintaining rights to their land

 If we work together, we may be able to restore the New England cottontail,

so federal protection may not be required

 In many situations, there are methods in place or under development to reduce any possible regulatory risks to the landowner

 One tool, a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA), can help landowners maintain and restore habitat Landowners are encouraged

to proactively implement conservation, and these agreements protect the landowner from additional land-use restrictions if the rabbit becomes federally protected

Proactively managing a species’ threats is more cost and time efficient than to let the species become so imperiled that it requires listing, recovery and delisting

 By working to reduce threats and conserve wildlife before needing to list under the Endangered Species Act, we have more management flexibility, fewer conservation action implementation costs, and a reduced likelihood for potential hunting and land-use restrictions

 Saving the New England cottontail is the partnership's highest priority, and

we can take pride in those efforts However, without improvement, we can't guarantee that it won't require future protection under the Endangered Species Act

 If the New England cottontail is federally listed, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will help landowners identify whether "take" is an issue and will work with landowners to address permitting if necessary

A Landowners

In order to address the demographic and behavioral diversity of our landowner audiences, our messages are tailored to each subdivision of this audience

A(1) Private Landowners

Private lands are essential for conservation and can make a positive difference for New England cottontail

 Be a part of a wildlife legacy

 Good land stewardship now improves your land for future generations

 Together, we can make sure that New England’s native rabbits survive for future generations to enjoy

 Most of the Northeast is privately owned Private landowners are key to the restoration of the New England cottontail

 Neither the partners, nor one landowner can do it alone

There are people, tools and incentives available to help landowners manage their land for New England cottontail

 No experience is required Wildlife and forestry professionals will help you

 We know it requires money to manage your land, and there are programs available to help fund your management efforts for the New England

 Keep your woods healthy and beautiful by taking some simple steps to create openings for wildlife

 On www.newenglandcottontail.org, you can read and learn from the

experiences of people managing their land

 Healthy woods are good for wildlife They bring many people peace and relaxation

 Your woodlands are valuable to you and can provide many benefits planned harvests will help you reach your goals now and in the future

Well- Enjoy the results of your work Young forests and shrublands invite song birds and other wildlife, berry bushes, and flowering shrubs

 You can feel good knowing you helped a rare species get back on the road to

a healthy population, while taking care of your land

Wildlife and habitat specialists will work with you to select the appropriate

management tools to create young forests and shrubland on your property

 Prescribed fire can enhance wildlife habitat while reducing the risk of

 Best management practices to create young forests and shrublands are available and can inform good habitat management decisions

 Properly designed and implemented forest harvests can increase wildlife diversity and benefit many animals without harming the environment

A(2) Private Agricultural Landowners

Farmers can also manage lands for wildlife

 Farmland can be managed for wildlife without compromising operations Small changes to your current management practices can reap large benefits for New England cottontail and other wildlife including game species

 Shrubby edges, wet areas and other marginal lands that are difficult to access or unsuitable for agriculture can be set aside as wildlife habitat

 Adding well-managed shrubby edges between a hayfield and a forest can benefit wildlife while keeping shade off your hayfield

 Managing for New England cottontail can be good for your business

Community work enhances public image and reveals alternative lines of business, such as agritourism or ecotourism Information and assistance may be available

 A variety of habitats on your farm can increase the beauty and recreational value of your farm, as well as provide habitat for important crop pollinators

A(3) Private Small Woodlot/Forest Landowners

Forest land stewards can also manage lands for declining wildlife

 Small changes to your forest management can reap large benefits for not only the New England cottontail, but as many as 50 other types of wildlife

 Adding habitat diversity to your woodlot will attract wildlife that can

improve the overall health of your forest

 Creating young forest habitat could lead to timber harvest and income, and can offset costs of wildlife management

 Areas that are not suitable for producing prime timber can produce high quality young forest and shrubland habitat for wildlife

 Private consultants, such as foresters or wildlife biologists, can help explore different ways of managing your forest

 Financial support may be available to benefit wildlife on your land while also supporting other land management goals (e.g developing forest

management plans, etc.)

A(4) Commercial, Energy, and Industrial Landowners

Businesses can benefit when they manage lands for New England cottontail; it can increase profits and improve community support

 Management of young forest can generate revenue from selling wood and provide jobs

 Customers may select a company based on its environmental stewardship

 Supporting New England cottontail habitat restoration supports an

important community wildlife value

 Industrial landowners can serve as leaders and provide good examples of young forest stewardship

 Some commercial landowners are already managing young forest and shrubland Their support of the New England cottontail will help build public support for this initiative

 Managing for young forest and shrubland can be considered donations of time, expertise and land These may be tax deductible and may be used as in-kind contributions by groups to leverage additional conservation dollars

 Managing lands for New England cottontail provides opportunities to inform the public about their corporate environmental awareness or

stewardship philosophy

A(5) State Landowners and State Agencies

Managing young forest and shrubland will help recover the New England cottontail and maintain healthy populations of other wildlife

 Preserving Species of Greatest Conservation Need, like the New England cottontail, is part of the role of state fish and wildlife agencies

 NEC conservation may benefit other listed species such as bog turtles

 By managing forests to benefit wildlife, New England cottontail work could increase public support for timber management activities

 Outreach programs are available to build public support

 A team of partners will work with your stakeholders to reduce concerns about management activities

 State lands can serve as model demonstration areas for outstanding wildlife management activities

 Managing young forests will benefit game and non-game species, which will benefit hunters and other wildlife recreationists

 Revenues can be generated through forest management activities

 Targeted grants (e.g., National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, State Wildlife Grants, other state programs) and land protection initiatives (e.g., Land and Water Conservation Fund, North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Coastal Wetlands Grants, Section 6) may help cover costs for habitat

management or land protection

A(6) Federal Landowners

Federal agencies are an important partner in this effort to improve the status of New England cottontail, such that federal protection may not be required

 This species meets the scientific and biological criteria for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act

 Through collaboration, cooperation and partnership, federal and state agencies working together to protect New England cottontail habitat can use public resources more effectively and efficiently We can achieve more together than any one agency can achieve alone

 It is more efficient to prevent listing under the federal Endangered Species Act, than to list, recover, and delist

 NEC conservation may benefit other listed species such as bog turtles

A(7) Municipal Landowners

[Town Name] is special; it is home to the New England cottontail

 We can manage lands for this animal while meeting town goals and services, such as recreation, transfer stations and schools

 Conservation of the New England cottontail provides communities with opportunities to continue good stewardship of the environment

 Native plants and animals create a healthy environment, and people need healthy environments

 Partners can help provide funding, educational and technical support for this work

 Wildlife management adds value to lands by enhancing recreational and education opportunities Conservation doesn’t have to change the way land

is used

A(8) Tribal Landowners

Conservation of this native animal is an opportunity for Native American tribes to preserve indigenous wildlife

 There are funding opportunities, such as the USFWS Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, and technical assistance specific to tribes

 Traditional Ecological Knowledge should be considered when taking

measures to restore this species

A(9) Land Trusts and other Nonprofit Local Conservation Entities

Creating and conserving habitats for declining wildlife is an example of good land stewardship

 Your lands can make the difference for a rare animal

 Managing your lands for wildlife creates an opportunity to educate your communities and enhances recreation

 New England cottontail conservation gives land trusts a reason to engage landowners

 New England cottontails are charismatic animals, and can provide a reason for people to engage with nature and land conservation

Our supporters value a diversity of habitats to support a diversity of wildlife

 We need to create young forests and shrublands to help restore declining wildlife populations

 Managing for the New England cottontail could help expand your

conservation ownership by offering additional funding sources

 Young forests and shrublands are vital to land birds during breeding and migration

 Young forests offer prime bird watching opportunities

B Conservation Advocates

The rangewide young forest and New England cottontail conservation effort needs support to be successful

 Your support of programs and policies that benefit young forests and

shrublands will also benefit a candidate species, the New England cottontail

 Grant-making organizations play an important role in determining the success of the New England cottontail initiative

 To be successful, the rangewide New England cottontail effort will need support from outreach specialists across the region

Supporting the New England cottontail initiative fits your mission Working together,

we can accomplish common conservation goals that we could not accomplish alone

 Forest harvest and shrubland management actions are not always

understood and can be controversial New England cottontail conservation can garner support for those activities necessary to restore diversity to the landscape

 The New England cottontail depends on shrublands and young forests, however, this landscape benefits many other species, many that are

imperiled or popular game species

 The New England cottontail effort can help organizations educate, engage and build their membership

 Information resources (website, brochures) are available for your use

C Natural Resource Professionals

Natural resource professionals can contribute to conservation of the New England cottontail There are tools to help manage young forests and shrublands and outreach materials to share with your clients

 Partner organizations are developing training to help incorporate New England cottontail restoration actions into your work

 Consultants with expertise in young forest and shrubland management may

be in higher demand

 The protection and creation of young forests and shrublands will be more effective and less controversial if natural resource professionals use a common and proven set of communication techniques and messages when interacting with stakeholders

 Information resources (website, brochures) are available for your use

 Professional organizations can help keep their members informed about New England cottontail conservation efforts

D Elected Officials - U.S Congress

State, federal, local and private partners are collaboratively working to conserve and create a special kind of habitat needed by New England’s only native rabbit and a host

of other species

 The rangewide New England cottontail recovery effort is a highly efficient, cooperative, approach that could serve as a conservation model for other types of landscapes and wildlife

 The partnership to proactively restore the New England cottontail is an example of effective implementation of the cooperative Candidate Species Conservation program, which strives to recover species before they are federally listed

 The states are working cooperatively to recover the New England cottontail and restore its habitat

 [Include a message with state-specific data on wildlife-associated recreation from the latest National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation document.]

E Communities and Neighbors

Your neighbors are working with partners to restore a rare rabbit and its habitat

 Creating a variety of habitats in your landscape brings new wildlife to watch and learn from

 See a different side of wildlife Young forest gives people more opportunities

to hear and see their treasured outdoors

 This is an opportunity to see the before and after of forest management, and

to see how it benefits wildlife and ultimately people

F Partners in the Conservation Strategy

We do not have specific messages tailored to our partners However, this document provides guidance on how we, as partners in the NEC conservation effort, can

communicate in a clear, unified, and consistent manner with the audiences with whom we are working

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

Strategies are broad descriptions of actions that describe how we will deliver our

key messages to our target audiences Strategies usually come in three categories:

(1) print, (2) electronic, or (3) face to face Tactics are specific actions or products

that fall under these categories Tactics form the basis of our action plan, and are implemented in the following phases:

Phase I – Preparation Compile contact lists, compile event schedules and begin

development of collateral materials

Phase II – Awareness and Relationship Building Get the attention of key players

within each target audience, build awareness and interest, and establish

relationships with partners and target audience leaders

Phase III – Action Encourage each target audience to act by incorporating NEC

conservation as a concern in their work

Tactics are listed in Appendix B – Action Plan

We categorize our tactics by our Expected Outcomes and expand them based on the different implementation phases Although we developed our strategies and tactics with our Target Audiences in mind, we also included tactics that will help develop a broader base of public support and understanding

The bulk of action items and tasks are identified in Appendix B To limit duplicative text they are not elaborated upon within this text It is imperative that the broader working group review this section, as well as Appendix B, to identify action items which can be accomplished now There are a little over 100 action items identified, and conservation partners need to work together as a team to accomplish the

highest priority tasks Full implementation of a successful outreach program will require additional capacity as identified in the Conservation Strategy (Fuller and Tur, 2012)

Strategies for All Target Audiences

 Establish, build and maintain positive working relationships with all Target Audiences

 Relate NEC conservation to issues and values that resonate with each Target Audience; particularly themes like wildlife conservation, environmental health, economic benefits, future generations, efficient partnerships, and public support

 Associate “good feelings” with NEC conservation (e.g better world, healthy animals, helping a rare species recover, good land stewardship, future

generations, efficient use of resources, individuals can make a difference, supporting local communities, and a good conservation ethic)

 Use a variety of new and traditional media to reach Target Audiences and build general support for NEC conservation

 Develop a brand image to increase the visibility and recognition of NEC conservation

 Highlight success stories

 Ensure that information about NEC conservation is easily accessible via print and electronic media

 Ensure scientific data, projects and recent research findings are available to all partners in NEC conservation

A Landowners

The strategies below apply to all landowner audiences However, in order to

address the demographic and behavioral diversity of our landowner audiences, we developed additional strategies tailored to each subdivision of this audience

Strategies Common to All Landowners

 Review landholdings for all landowner audiences

 Establish, build, and maintain positive relationships with all landowners within the focal areas established in the Conservation Strategy

 Develop the most effective approach for engaging each individual

landowner or landowner audience

 Emphasize the benefits of NEC management including economics, view sheds, tax incentives, future generations, healthy lands etc

 Facilitate the process for landowners to easily create habitat

 Reinforce landowners who choose to manage their land for NEC that they made a good decision

A(1) Private Landowners

 Show private landowners how they fit into a larger conservation effort